Acetylene-gas headlight.



No. 635,580. Patented Oct. 24, I899. c. H. PAGETT.

ACETYLENE GAS' HEADLIGHT.

(Application filed Apr. 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat VIIIIIA'IIIII n WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

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Patented net. 24, I899.

C. H. PAGETT. AOETYLENE GAS HEADLIGHT.

(Application filed Apr. 19, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sha et 2 (No Model.)

JNVENTOR.

.2449 ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES TTLC.

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NITED STATES ATENT CHARLES H. PAGETT, or LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO EREDERIcK MU-RDOOK, LABAN SPARKS, AND WILLIAM F;

MURDOOK, OF SAME PLACE.

ACET'YLENE-GAS HEADLIGHT.

SiECIFICATiON forming part of Letters Patent No; 635,580, dated October 24., 1899.

Application filed April19,1899. Serial No. 713,628. (No model.)

T aZZ idhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. PAGETT, of Lafayette, county of Tippecanoe, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and usefulAcetylene-Gas Headlight and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

to My invention relates to an acetylene-gas headlight adapted especially for and combined with a railway-locomotive, but which can be used on steamboats and other means of conveyance of suitable character for the I 5 use of headlights.

The object of the invention is to make an acetylenegas headlight that is practically useful in connection with locomotives and which will not freeze or permit the regularity of its operation to be interferred with by the jarring of the locomotive.

The full nature of my invention will appear from the accompanying drawings and the description and claims following.

2 5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of the front portion of a locomotive with my acetylene-gas headlight combined therewith, parts of the locomotive being broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross vertical section of the headlight apparatus immediately to the right of the reflector. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sec tion of the sensitive feed-regulator, Fig. 4

is a cross-section of the water-tube and valve rod or needle therein. Fig. 5 is a central ver- 3 5 tical section of the same, the upper and lower parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the lamp with portions shown in vertical section. Fig. '7 isacentral vertical section of the lamp.

In detail a lamp-case 1 is mounted on the boiler 2 of a locomotive immediately in front of the smoke-stack 3 upon the platform 4, which has legs 5 secured to the boiler. The casing has a suitable window 6, and behind it, within the casing, areflector 7 is mounted on a support 8. The casing is detachably secured to the platform Aby the screws 9. Within the casing I provide a cylindrical carbidchamber 10, that receives a carbid-receptacle The carbid-chamber 10 is made water-tight and is so mounted on the circular supports 15 that it will be held in midair Within the water-tank 14:, whereby it will be completely surrounded by water. At the ends said water tank or jacket is rectangular, as shown in Fig. 7 but toward the middle it is widened,

as indicated in said figure and also in Fig. 2. In this central widened portion of the watertank a coiled pipe 16 is placed, leading from the upper part of the carbid-chamber 10 out through the water-chamber 14 and up through the opening 17 in the lower side of the reflector to the burner 18. The burner is so located as to cause the flame to be immediately in front of the center rear portion of the reflector. An opening 18 above is provided in the reflector for the escape of gases. By this construction it is seen that the carbid-chamber is wholly immersed in water for keeping it cool, that the carbid receptacle or pan 11 is readily removable, and that the gas-pipe for conveying gas to the burner is coiled to make it long, So as to bring about a uniformity in the pressure of the gas as it reaches the burner and also to cool the gas before it reaches the burner. 8

In the carbid receptacle or pan 11 a perforated water-cup 20 is secured that connects with a longitudinally extending water passage-way or pipe 21, that islikewise perforated. The carbid lies upon said perforated passage- 0 Way or pipe and about the perforated cup 20. The water is dropped into said cup 20 from the water-inlet pipe 22, which has a central passage-way through it and at its upper end is provided with a conical valve-seat to receive the comically-pointed valve rod or needle 23. Said pipe 22 at its upper end is secured to a small water-tube 2 1, which is supplied with water through the pipes and 26 from the tanks 27 and 28. One of these water-tanks is mounted on each side of the rear portion of the reflector, which'gives ample water-supply and yet leaves the lamp in a compact form. Said water-tanks 27 and 28 are connected with the water tank or jacket 14 by the pipes 29 and 30. With this arrangement a circulation of the water through the tank 14 and tanks 27 and 28 is effected, whereby the heat in said water is distributed to prevent its freezing or to prevent its getting too hot in one portion of said tanks, as the case may be.

While the lamp is in use the heat transmitted to the water in the chamber 14 from the carbid-ch'amber will keep .the water in that chamber, and also in the tanks 27 and 28 and the pipes 29 and 30, from freezing. This result will be accomplished, as well as cooling the carbid-chamber and pipe-coil 16. On the other hand, when the lamp is not in use the water will freeze in the tanks in cool weather, as the lamp is placed in a very exposed position on the locomotive and its speed through the air tends to increase this difficulty. To prevent this result, I place around the tanks 27 and 28 a coil of steam pipe 3l,that leads from the boiler at It is provided with a suitable valve 33 and a union 34,whereby it can be readily detached. This will not only keep the water in the tanks 27 and 28 warm and prevent them freezing, but if the lamp is not in use the circulation of the water through the pipes 29 and 30 to the water-jacket 14 will prevent the water in the latter from freezing. With this construction it is needless to withdraw the water from the tanks when the light is turned off; but they may remain filled and will not freeze. All the engineer is required to do is to control the valve 33 or shut it off or turn it on as the needs of the lamp require.

The feed of the water into the carbid-receptacle is regulated by the valve rod or needle 23 in the water-tube 24, the lower end of said valve rod or needle being guided by the plate 35 and its upper end operating through a tube 36 and supported by a spring 37 above said tube. A casting or frame 38 is secured on the upper end of said tube 36, and said spring 37 is spiral and extends between said casting 3S and a head-block 39, that has an opening 40 in it to receive the end of the lever 41. Said lever 41 is centrally pivoted at 42 on an arm 43 from said casting or frame 38. Another arm from said casting or frame 38 is the arm 44, through which a bolt 45 operates to bear upon the head-block 39 and depress or relieve the valve rod or needle 23. When it is desired to entirely shut off the water from thecarbid-receptaele, said bolt 45 is operated to its limit. hen it is desired to use the lamp, said bolt 45 is elevated out of the way and the valve is regulated by the spring 37, the lever 41, and the mechanism now to be described.

A tube 46 extends from the carbid-chamber parallel with the tubes 24 and 36, they being placed side by side behind the central portion of the reflector, as shown in Fig. 6. At the upper end of said tube 46 a sensitive diaphragm 47 is provided in the diaphragmcase 48, secured to said tube. A bolt 49 is secured at its lower end to said diaphragm and rests against or engages the under side of the free end of the lever 41, so as to push said end upward when the diaphragm is pushed upward and to permit its depression when the diaphragm is depressed. The diaphragm-case carries in its upper end a thumb-screw 50, through which the bolt 49 extends loosely, and a spiral spring 52 is mounted on the bolt between the thumb-screw and the nut 51, the tendency of said spring being to depress the diaphragm and act against the upward pressure of the gas formed in the carbid-chamber. When the pressure of gas in said chamber becomes too great, it presses the diaphragm 47 upward, and that through the bolt 49 and lever 41 positively depresses the valve rod or needle 24 until it diminishes or closes the water-opening from the water-tube 24 into the pipe 22, that admits water to the carbid-receptacle. This either shuts off the supply of water to the carbid-receptacle or diminishes it, according to the pressure of gas, until the pressure of the gas is diminished, and then the springs 37 and 52 tend to return the parts to their normal position. I provide also a safety-valve 53 of any ordinary construction, which I connect with the tube 46.

' lVith this construction just described it is observed that the feed of the water to the carbid is automatically regulated, and what is more important the springs 37 and 52 and the lever 41 and diaphragm 47 and valve-closing bolt 45 and all parts will resist the jarring action of the locomotive to such an extent as to prevent the jarring from interfering with the water-feeder. This is a serious difficulty that has to be overcome, because the jarring of the locomotive at high speed is very great and is disastrous to the operation of a lamp that is not provided with some means such as described for resisting or neutralizing its effect. By turning the thumb-screw the diaphragm through the action of the spring 52 can be adjusted.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an acetylene-gas-headlight apparatus, a carbid-chamber, a water-supply tube, a suitable valve for controlling the supply of water to the carbid, a diaphragm so mounted as to be acted on by the pressure of gas in the carbid-chamber, a lever for closing said valve, a connection between the diaphragm and lever, a spring acting against the closing movement of the valve, another spring acting against the movement of the diaphragm, and means for absolutely closing the valve.

2. In an acetylene-gas-headlight apparatus, a carbid-chamber, a water-supply tube with a valve-seat in its upper end, a valve rod or needle in the Water-tube, a guide-piece therein for its lower end, a casing or frame for c1os ing the upper end of said tube with a guide for the upper end of the valve rod or needle and two arms 43 and 44, the apertured block 39 on the upper end of the valve rod or needle, a screw-bolt in the arm 44 for closing the valve by bearing on the block 39, a lever centrally pivoted in the arm 43 with one end Working loosely in the aperture of the block 39, a tube from the carbid-oharnber, a diaphragm-casin g on the upper end, a diaphragm in the casing, the bolt 45 adjustably connected With the diaphragm and engaging the end of said lever, a soreW-cap-for closing the up- I 5 my signature in the presence of the Witnesses 2o herein named.

CHARLES H. PAGETT.

Witnesses:

ADAM O. BEHM, FREDERICK O. EVANS. 

